Wallow of the Hippo God
Wallow of the Hippo God is the fourth map in Luxor 2, Luxor 2 HD, and Luxor: Pharaoh's Challenge. Path Description Wallow of the Hippo God's path starts at the bottom left corner of the screen and goes around each side of the screen in a counterclockwise motion, going around the sides of the wallow and into the wallow before going through a broken urn and into the pyramid at the bottom right corner of the screen. The path crosses itself twice. When spheres enter the inner path, another sphere group spawns. The Luxor 2 HD rendition of the map features angle changes. Design The Luxor 2 rendition of Wallow of the Hippo God is designed on a small pond surrounded by vegetation and rocks. Bubbles can be seen forming and popping on the water, and raindrops can also be seen hitting the water. At the top right side of the pond is the reflection of a tall building, most likely an obelisk. At the bottom center of the screen is a broken urn with hieroglyphics and an image of a hippo that acts as a representation of Taweret, the hippo goddess of Ancient Egypt. The Luxor 2 HD rendition of the map is drastically different from the Luxor 2 version. The wallow is now designed with more vegetation and plants in it, and it is also surrounded by stone platforms. The path is more clearly defined, with stepped square platforms with hieroglyphics emblazoned on them, similar to Opening of the Mouth Ceremony from Luxor: Amun Rising. Broken columns now act as a tunnel, and the background is also decorated with urns, pillars, vases, and crocodiles. The focal point in the center of the map's background is a small round pedestal with a blue hippopotamus statue, again representing Taweret. The beginning of the path comes out from a green scarab statue similar to those found in Luxor 3. Difficulty Analysis Wallow of the Hippo God, unusual for an early-game map, is considered the hardest of the early-game maps due to its path design, which does not leave a lot of room for destroying spheres when in danger. Speed, skill, and luck should be prioritized over 100% accuracy, as going for 100% accuracy will more often than not cause a lot of lost lives or even a Game Over. Stage 10-4, which has Wallow of the Hippo God as its map, is generally considered one of the hardest levels in the game on any difficulty. Fire Balls and Color Clouds can be used anywhere on the path, especially the two parts of the path that cross each other. Lightning Balls must also be used on the most vertical parts of the path, but they can still be used at the spawning point for massive damage to a sphere group. In later levels, sphere groups have less like-colored groups, making speed, skill, and luck the only priorities that matter in surviving on this map. Appearances ; Luxor 2'' and ''Luxor 2 HD * Stage 1-4 (Tranquility Shattered) * Stage 4-4 (Secrets of the Colossi) * Stage 7-4 (The Oasis of the Sphinxes) * Stage 10-4 (To the Foothills of the Medjay) * Stage 1-4 (Challenge of Horus) ; Luxor: Pharaoh's Challenge * Stage 1-4 * Stage 4-4 * Stage 7-4 * Stage 10-4 See also * Pool of the Lotus Blossom, a map in Luxor HD with a similar background to the Luxor 2 rendition of Wallow of the Hippo God.